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Lenny Trujillo: The Journey of You

In the fall of 2010, Lenny Trujillo embarked on a journey unaware that he was going anyplace. That was the journey to discover himself, his ancestry….and what a journey it has been. Lenny was unique, very unique.

After Lenny’s results came back, he purchased a DNA Report. In the process of analyzing his DNA, I realized what an opportunity was at hand. Lenny was Native American and his Y DNA likely harbored new SNPs that would identify a new sub-haplogroup, and we needed to take a look. When I wrote Lenny and asked if he would consider a Walk the Y (WTY) test, he told me that he had retired that very day. My heart sunk, because I presumed that meant “no”, that he’d be making financial adjustments like so many retirees. But then Lenny went on to say that he wanted to proceed in order to leave a legacy for his grandchildren.

And what a legacy Lenny has to leave them. Lenny made history and advanced science. Indeed, by comparing Lenny’s DNA to another European man in haplogroup Q1a3, 7 new SNPs were discovered. I wrote a paper about this process and Lenny’s contribution. This was a red letter day for Native American ancestry, as well as for Lenny, delivered as fate would have it, Christmas week.

However, Lenny’s remarkable story doesn’t end there. That’s only the beginning. But, I’ll let Lenny tell his own story, in his own words. He wrote an article for the Los Angeles Beat which was published today. His story is so heartwarming and inspirational and the records that document his Native ancestry that Lenny has been able to find have been absolutely amazing.